Tank gauging hatch



CL 10, 1933- A J. M. McDoNALD 1,929,702

TANK GAUGING HATCH Filed Feb. 15, 1932 Patented Oct. 10, 1933 f,

Tes

f -STA TANK vGAUGnJr'if HATCH p John' M McDonald, Dubuque, Iowa, assignorto A.Y Y. McDonald Mfg. Co., Dubuque, Iowa', a

'- lcorporation of IowaV kI Application February. 15, 1932.. 'serial N6. '593,1s1f l 1 7 claims;

This invention is concerned with certain Yimprovements in a gauging hatch applicable to ja tank for the purpose of providing a normally Ysealed opening through which a rod or other measuring instrument may be insertedl for 'determining the approximate volume of liquid, such -as oil' or gasoline, which is contained in the tank. f The present hatch may also be combined conveniently with Va vent to relievev pressure-and vacuum,` permitting Athese two Y associated devices to be applied to a -tank through a single corinection.- I Y A An exemplication of my invention is set forth linthe accompanying drawing in the manner following: f i* Figure 1 is a vertical section through the present gauging hatch'showing its cover in the normally closed position;

Fig. 2, whichis a similar view, shows the cover raised-to open position; l f Y n Fig. 3-is a View in ielevation looking toward -the hinged end of the gauging hatch cover which is shown in closed position; and n Fig. 4, which is a View similar to Fig.' 1, illustrates the gauging hatch roperatively combined with a second tting, here shown as a vent.

From a storage tank T, a pipe' or nipple `5'is extended upwardlyvfor threaded connection with vthe chambered body 6 of the present gauging hatch Whose walls maybe slightlyV constricted as at 7 adjacent the upper end which'is'open in line with the opening in its bottom end where connection is made with the pipe ;v or the body of the'hatch may be connected otherwise to thetank, in any Way such as is customary ancljsuit'abl'e for the purpose. Mounted over the topV opening of the bodyY is a cover 8 having a depending marginal flange 9 fitting over the upper end of the body. A gasket 10 which may take the form of a disk of suitable material is applied to the underside of the cover to which it may be held as by means of a screw 11.

Extending laterally from the body near its upper end are a pair of spaced ears-15. Between these ears is received a heel 18 which is extended laterally and downwardly from the cover. The heel forms one end of a rib 19 having an upwardly inclined cam face extending over the cover. A cam face 20 is provided on the heel, as is also a stop face 21, the latter being engageable with the body when the cover is fully opened. As by means of a pin 22 extending between the two ears 15 and through the heel, the cover is hing edly connected to the body.

In combination with a hatch cover of the kind described, I provide also a combined locking and operating 'yoke having opposite arms 25 Ywhich are arched over at 26 to join each other andan outwardly'extendingA operating piece 27. 4The center of the arch formed by the two arms of the yokelie adjacent the cam surface of the rib so as to engagetherewith.

n Upon opposite sides ofthe body, at a point relatively distant from the upper end thereof are ybosses 30 into whichv` may be threaded stud screws. 31. The shank of each bolt passes also 4through. an eye atlthe lower end of each arm of the yoke, thereby furnishing a pivotal mounting therefor. The head of each boltremains spaced from the proximate arm a substantial distance 70 to accommodate upon its shank the coils of a spring 32 one of whoseiends 33 is hooked around the proximate arm ofthe yoke, the other spring end 34v being passed through an opening provided in a1ug/35 extending laterally from the 75 body adjacentitsbase. The effect of the two springs thus provided is to maintain theyoke always in a substantially vertical positionagainst Athe high end of Ythe cam with Which. it remains in engagementtoppress the cover down'tightly 80 into closed position over the upper endof the body. -If desired', a hole 36 may be formed transversely of the `rib adjacent the yokev when in normal-position, vpermitting application of a lock element 37,such;as'the hasp of a padlock, by 85 which to"preventunauthorized:operation of the yoke with consequent opening of the cover.

Y lThe present gauging hatch may optionally be incorporated with a-.secondftting, such as a vent or breatheigas suggested in Fig. 4.* Here 'it will 90 -be observed that the gauging hatch is identical in all respects with the construction Valready described, but the body of the hatch is made integral with an extension forming a body also for the vent which may include in its structure a pair of valves 40 and 41 operable in response to plus and minus pressures, respectively, to establish communication between the tank connection and the atmosphere through an ,opening 42 which faces downwardly below the vent body and to one side of the hatch body.

In operation, the cover maybe opened by the application Vto the yoke of aforcevwhich overbalances the tension of the springs which act normally to maintain the cover in tightly closed position. To raise the covertheyoke is swung back to the point 'where it engages with the heel cam face 20. Further movement of the yoke will force the heel down with a consequent lift of the cover until the lower heel face v21 abuts 110 the body, as indicated in Fig. 2. For these movements, the operating piece 27'may be conveniently actuated by the hand or foot. By maintaining a continued pressure on the yoke such that it will stay in the down position shown in Fig. 2, the cover will remain open, but once this pressure be released, the yoke will spring back, permitting the cover to drop down, and will thereupon slide along the cam 19 toward its high end to force the cover to a tightly closed position. It will be noted, therefore, that the cover, which otherwise is free to swing down, is prevented from returning to closed position until the yoke starts back toward its locking position. In other words, the cover which can be opened either by hand or foot pressure will not stay open one moment after release of such pressure, and its movements and locking are controlled solely by a cam and spring mechanism which alone requires operation to meet all conditions of service.

I claim:

1. A tank hatch in which is combined a body open at the top for closure by a freely hinged cover having a cam on its upper face, a device pivoted to the body swingable in response to tension having means for engaging with the cam to force the cover to a tightly closed position, a releasable locking element insertable through a cover opening for preventing movement of the pivoted device with consequent opening of the cover, and a second cam extending laterally from the cover with which the same means of the pivoted device may engage to swing the cover to open position.

2. A tank hatch in which is combined a body having a through opening, a freely operable `hinged cover forming a closure over one end of vengagefto raise the cover, and means acting to limit the opening movement of the cover.

3. A tank hatch in which is combined a body having a through opening, a hinged cover forming a closure over one end of the body opening, a single face cam on the cover, spring actuated inflexible means pivoted to the body engageable with the cam with an increasing pressure to force the cover tightly to closed position and when so engaged being extended transversely of the cover and longitudinally of the body opening whereby to effectively resist raising of the cover in response to any force proceeding through the body opening, and a second cam device on the cover having a single acting face with which the spring actuated means may engage to raise the cover, the cam device being provided also with means by which to limit the opening movement of the cover.

4. A tank hatch in which is combined a body having a through opening, a hinged cover having ka cam with a single duplex acting face, and a having a single means to engage both cam faces in succession to press the cover to closed position and swing the cover to open position, and means carried by the cover engageable with the body to limit the cover opening movement.

6. A tank hatch in which is combined a body having a through opening, a cover hinged to the body and provided with a cam having a -single duplex acting face, and spring actuated inflexible means mounted on the body for movement through a fixed path for engagement with the .single duplex acting face ofthe cover at points upon opposite sides of its hinged connection with the body, the cam engaging means being movable to a position which is transversely of the cover when closed at which point it coacts to lockthe cover down tight, and being movable to a second position in which it coacts with-the cam to hold the cover open. Y v

7. A tank hatch in which is combined a body having a through opening, a cover hinged to the body and provided with a cam having a single duplex acting face, and spring actuated inflexible means mounted on the body* for movement through a fixed path for engagement Awith the single duplex acting face of the cover at spaced points only, the cam engaging means being movable to a position which is transversely of the cover when closed at which point it coacts to lock the cover down tight, and being movable to a secondfposition in which it coacts with the cam to hold the cover'open.

JOHN M. MCDONALD. 

